OVERVIEW
Leading the way in sustainable energy, our client provides green electricity and natural gas to 250,000 homes and businesses across Ireland. They are the longest provider of 100% Renewable Electricity in Ireland.
BACKGROUND
Operating in the Irish market since the late 1990’s, this Energy company launched in Northern Ireland in the commercial energy sector, and over a decade later became Ireland's leading independent energy business supplying over 30% of large industrial electricity requirements.
THE CHALLENGE
The company entered the residential energy market over a decade ago, and it faced a challenging competitive landscape. Established providers had strong market positions, and low switching levels across electricity and gas made it difficult for newer entrants to gain momentum.
Then, smart meters, energy-efficient tariffs and an expanding range of energy products made customer decisions more complex. Customers increasingly needed clear, knowledgeable guidance to understand their choices and select the plan best suited to their household needs.
THE SOLUTION
Realising the expertise to drive market entry and customer acquisition, Covalen was awarded the contract as the Irish Energy provider’s first residential sales team.
Gaining a strong understanding of the challenges its client faced, Covalen designed and delivered a best-in-class sales solution, which included a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to attract and retain new customers.
Covalen’s coaching culture fosters an environment where continuous learning is prioritised, resulting in heightened effectiveness. Training and development programmes systematically enhance employees’ product and market knowledge, communication skills, and customer understanding.
Working in partnership with Covalen, the client expanded its customer excellence programme to strengthen its customer-first sales culture. The initiative helped embed a more consultative approach, equipping employees to better understand customer needs and guide more informed decisions.
To improve operational flexibility, inbound sales employees were cross trained to support renewal campaigns and other areas of the client’s operation. This created a more adaptable team that could respond to changing business needs while maintaining a consistent customer experience.
Regular feedback loops optimised individual performance, all of which contributed to a collective boost in sales delivery to meet and exceed client SLAs.
Designed for flexibility and scale, the sales solution maintains full compliance with industry regulations.
KEY OUTCOMES
Go-to-market sales strategy: Covalen developed a structured sales process, using market insight to identify priority customer segments, focus commercial activity and establish clear measures of success.
Excellence Culture: Employees are empowered to pursue excellence, with reward and recognition driving peak performance. By the start of 2020, the team had tripled sales conversion targets.
Scale & Agility: Built-in scalability allows sales structures to adapt to changing market, economic and competitive conditions. Throughout the partnership, Covalen established customer-focused Residential Sales, Customer Loyalty, and Outbound Sales teams, as well as overflow support for the client’s commercial energy business.
- Tripled sales conversion targets (by early 2020)
- Delivered 300% sales growth
- Consistently achieved QA targets
- Irish CCMA 2024 Award ‘Team of the year’ highly commended
- Three consecutive wins at ISC Awards (Irish Sales Champion)
More than a decade on, the partnership continues to evolve, supporting the client as it responds to changing customer expectations, market developments and new opportunities for growth.
To learn how Covalen can help your organisation strengthen sales performance, customer experience and operational agility, contact our team today.
